Otto Moritz Walter Model , Born in Genthin, Saxony-Anhalt, he was noted for his defensive skills and was nicknamed "Hitler's fireman." Model was known in the German General Staff as a loyal follower of Hitler. Model joined the Imperial Army in 1909 and was commissioned as Lieutenant in 1910. He served as an infantry officer in World War I and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class in 1915. He was promoted to Captain in 1917 and was severely wounded in 1918 while serving as a company commander in France. After the end of World War I he was one of the 4,000 officers who were retained in the Reichswehr in 1919. He served in a number of line and staff positions in the inter-war years and had risen to the rank of Major General ("Generalmajor") by 1938. As commanding general of the XXXXI Panzer Corps, Model spearheaded Operation Typhoon, the leg of Operation Barbarossa intended to take Moscow. During the assault, Model's forces captured important bridgeheads leading to Moscow and came within 20 km (12 mi) of the city before the Red Army stopped his advance. In January 1942 Model was appointed commanding general of the 9th Army and, shortly thereafter, awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. During the Battles of Rzhev, Model's army was trapped and still managed to destroy large numbers of Russian troops and successfully defend the area until 1943 when Hitler ordered a withdrawal. For his defensive skills he was awarded the Swords to the Oak Leaves of the Knight's Cross following the withdrawal from Rhzev. In 1943 Model led the northern assault on Kursk during Operation Citadel. Model was opposed to the operation as well as to Hitler's orders to stand fast under all circumstances. Hitler later allowed Model to withdraw, and he managed to break out of the Oryol, which the Russians were about to retake. In January 1944 Model was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Army Group North on the Eastern Front. In March he was promoted to Field Marshal, "Generalfeldmarschall". He then commanded Army Group Narva, created out of Army Group North to prevent a Soviet breakthrough to the Baltic Sea in what became the Battle of Narva. In mid-August Model was transferred to the west as Commander-in-Chief West and concurrently as Commander-in-Chief of Army Group B. Upon Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt's return as Commander-in-Chief West in early September, Model retained command of Army Group B, a post he kept until the Group's final dissolution in April 1945. As Commander of Army Group B, Model helped stem the Allied advance during Operation Market Garden. Believing that a field marshal should not surrender, Model committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. |
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